Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) rose 3.00% to $2.58 after announcing a partnership with Nissan Motors. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was on the rise after a losing streak, jumping 2.16% to $679.50 despite concerns about its iPhone 5 supply. Even OCZ Technology (NASDAQ:OCZ), trading at multi-year lows, saw optimism among investors, rising 9.61% to $3.65.

In the biotech sector, StemCells Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) shot up 11.32% to $2.15 after its massive breakthrough in stem cell treatment of spinal cord injuries. The news wasn't so good for Peregrine Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:PPHM), though, which dropped 36.75% to just $1.05 after it was revealed that the company had defaulted on a $30 million loan it took out in August.